EASTLEIGH is not renowned for its snow, but that hasn't stopped local lad Michael Colyer developing into a fine, young skier.

The 15-year-old, who skis with the English Alpine team, was in hot form at the British Land National Junior and Children's Championships held in the French 1992 Olympic resort of Maribel.

Colyer, pictured above, finished third in the Junior 1 (under-17) slalom and now stands a strong chance of selection for the full-time junior programmes run by the British Land Alpine Ski Team.

Mark Tilston, Snowsport GB's performance director, said: "Over the course of this season, Michael has really underlined his potential.

"There is still a lot of hard work to be done to reach the level that the likes of Finlay Mickel, Alain Baxter and Chemmy Alcott are skiing at now on the international World Cup stage. But they all raced at these championships a few years ago, so there is every chances that if Michael puts in the time and effort, the rewards will come."